We asked a volunteer to see the Great Dane.  We went into a smaller pen with it to see how it would respond to us.  I had been reading about how to pick a puppy and had learned several tests that you could do to determine a dog’s temperament.  The basic temperament of a dog is something that can be worked with, but not changed, so if you want a certain type of dog, it is important to know as much about them as you can before taking them home.

We wanted a middle of the road kind of dog, outgoing but not a bully, obedient but not shy or fearful, with enough energy to go hiking but laid back enough to be satisfied lounging around with us.  We tried to get the Great Dane to respond to us, but it didn’t want to interact at all.  One of the volunteers had adopted his brother and said that he was a great dog, laid back and friendly, but I wasn’t seeing that in this puppy.  He didn’t even want to make eye contact.  I didn’t bother with the temperament tests.  Eric liked him, couldn’t see past him being Great Dane, the breed he wanted, but I just imagined it growing into this huge dog that outweighed me, but wouldn’t listen and had no interest in me.